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Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters

Shannon Watts, Founder of Moms Demand Action, Stands with Chair Walters, Ohio Democrats to Lay Out Stakes of November Election

Cincinnati, OH — Today, Shannon Watts, Founder of Moms Demand Action, stood with Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters, Mayor Aftab Pureval, Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey and Councilmember Greg Landsman, candidate for Ohio’s 1st Congressional District, to lay out the stakes of November’s election. 

“For four years, when given a choice between doing what’s right and doing what’s politically expedient, DeWine caved every time. Ohioans deserve better. They deserve a leader like Nan Whaley and leaders like those joining us here today who will put the interests of Ohioans over their own personal, political interests and never back down from a fight,” said Watts. 

Ohio Republicans have pushed a number of measures that make Ohioans less safe, including:

  • A bill that would put more guns in our classrooms, signed into law by Mike DeWine over objections of Ohio law enforcement, teachers and students.
  • A bill that waives requirements for background checks, licenses or training to carry a gun, which makes Ohio law enforcement officers less safe. 

“Ohio can do better. We can elect Nan Whaley, Greg Landsman and Ohio Democrats up and down the ballot who will look out for us and our loved ones. Who will keep their promises to ‘do something’ to combat gun violence. And who will finally stand up to the gun lobby once and for all,” said Chair Walters. 

“DeWine and his Republican friends in the state legislature are only making our jobs harder. By caving to their gun lobby donors, radical Republicans are making our state less safe,” said Mayor Pureval. 

Ohio Democrats are offering a better way forward: keeping Ohio families safe from gun violence instead of caving to the gun lobby and putting more guns in our schools and on our streets. 

“We deserve leadership that will make our streets safer for all of us – law enforcement officers and the communities we serve. That’s why I’m supporting Nan Whaley, Greg Landsman and Democrats up and down the ticket to put our state back on the right path and make our communities safer,” said Sheriff McGuffey. 

“I couldn’t be more excited to get to work putting Ohio families first next year in Congress, and I know our rest of our candidates feel the same,” said Councilmember Landsman.

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Ohio Democrats Welcome DNC Black Caucus Midwest Regional Leadership Summit To Columbus

Columbus, OH — Today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters and Vice Chair André Washington issued the following statements celebrating the DNC Black Caucus Midwest Regional Leadership Summit coming to Columbus this week. 

“Ohio Democrats are excited to welcome DNC Black Caucus leadership to Columbus this weekend with less than a month left until we flip Ohio blue. From now until Election Day, we’ll be showing up in the Black community to meet voters where they are and show them we’re on their side. This weekend will provide a huge boost for Ohioans who are ready to help us elect Democrats up and down the ballot, reject Republican extremism and move our state forward,” said Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters. 

“The power of the Black voice has never been louder, especially here in Ohio, and I am so excited to welcome Black leaders here to Columbus as we get ready to shock the nation and flip Ohio blue. We’re ready to show hardworking Ohioans we’re on their side and empower our grassroots volunteers to help us elect Democrats at all levels of government,” said Ohio Democratic Party Vice Chair André Washington. 

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ODP Chair Liz Walters Slams J.D. Vance And Trump For Counterprogramming The OSU-Toledo Game

Columbus, OH — Yesterday, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters slammed Trump and J.D. Vance for holding a rally that will be happening at the same time as the Ohio State-University of Toledo game. Having a campaign event on a fall Saturday night is a cardinal sin in Ohio – something out-of-state fraud J.D. Vance has forgotten after spending most of his adult life on the coasts. 

Here’s remarks from Chair Walters and a recording here: 

  • “When J.D. Vance left Ohio behind for the coasts, he forgot how we spend our fall Saturdays here in Ohio: watching college football. So now, out-of-state fraud J.D. Vance and Donald Trump are scheduling a rally to counterprogram the OSU-Toledo game and do what they do best, which is promote themselves. It’s no secret Vance really hates spending time in Ohio.” 
     
  • “He left Ohio to make money working in Big Tech finance in California, and Vance then wrote that he would move back to Ohio to focus on a non-profit, which he said would help those struggling with addiction. And that’s not what happened. Instead, according to news reports, Vance’s non-profit turned out to be a “superficial” “charade” that was clearly meant to bolster his political career more than anything else. In its first year, the group spent more money paying Vance’s top political advisor than on programs to fight the opioid epidemic. And the group conducted polling that was probably used to test the waters for a future J.D. Vance run for office.”
     
  • “When he takes the stage on Saturday, he’s going to try and hide his extreme position on abortion from Ohioans, but we won’t be fooled. If J.D. Vance had it his way, abortion would be banned nationally with no exceptions for rape or incest. J.D. Vance is so out-of-touch he compared abortion to slavery and called rape ‘inconvenient.’ He’d be merely another ‘yes’ vote for national Republicans’ plan for a national abortion ban.”

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ICYMI: Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Senate Race: Tim Ryan Blasts Lindsey Graham Abortion Ban As J.D. Vance Stays Quiet

Columbus, OH – According to a new report from Cincinnati Enquirer’s Haley BeMiller, J.D. Vance refused to answer whether he supports a national abortion ban but cheered a ban last year. Vance’s position is out of step not only with Ohioans but even Republican U.S. Senator Rob Portman, who Vance is vying to replace. 

Vance is also set to campaign with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham next month – standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the biggest cheerleader for a national abortion ban. This isn’t the first time J.D. Vance has let Ohioans know his extreme and out-of-touch position on abortion – he’s compared abortion to slavery and called rape “inconvenient.” 

“J.D. Vance’s disgusting comments on abortion are further proof that he belongs nowhere near the U.S. Senate. There is no doubt J.D. Vance would be another vote for a national abortion ban and take away Ohio womens’ freedom to make healthcare decisions that should be between them and their doctors,” said Elizabeth Walters, Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party. 

Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio Senate Race: Tim Ryan blasts Lindsey Graham abortion ban as J.D. Vance stays quiet
Haley BeMiller 
September 15, 2022

  • U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan railed against a federal abortion ban introduced in the U.S. Senate this week, accusing “extremists” of trying to take advantage of the U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
     
  • The bill from South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham would ban abortions nationwide after 15 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape, incest or when the pregnant person’s health is at risk. The proposal is unlikely to get a vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate, but Graham said it would give Republicans fodder for their message on abortion ahead of the November midterms.
     
  • Vance’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment, and the “Hillbilly Elegy” author has so far been quiet on Graham’s proposal. Vance doesn’t support exceptions for cases of rape or incest and said last year that children shouldn’t be punished for “inconvenient” circumstances around their birth.
     
  • He’s offered mixed messages on whether he would support a federal abortion ban. In a July “Meet the Press” appearance, he said states should be left to “figure this out for now” and signaled support for Ohio’s six-week abortion ban. Months prior, he said during a podcast interview that he would “like abortion to be illegal nationally,” although he argued a federal ban is unlikely in the current political climate.
     
  • “Let’s say Roe v. Wade is overruled,” he said in the January interview. “Ohio bans abortion in 2022 − let’s say 2024. Then every day, George Soros sends a 747 to Columbus to load up disproportionately Black women to get them to go have abortions in California. Of course, the left will celebrate this as a victory for diversity…If that happens, do you need some federal response to prevent it from happening because it’s really creepy? I’m pretty sympathetic to that, actually. Hopefully we get to a point where Ohio bans abortion and California and the Soroses of the world respect it.”
     
  • Vance is scheduled to headline a Summit County Republican Party dinner with Graham next month.
     
  • Graham’s legislation came just days before a Hamilton County judge blocked Ohio’s six-week ban for two weeks. A USA TODAY Network Ohio/Suffolk University poll released Thursday found 68% of likely Ohio voters oppose that policy, and 84% supported exceptions for victims of rape or incest.
     
  • Some Republicans balked at Graham’s decision to introduce the ban in the midst of a key election cycle. After the court overturned Roe, many GOP leaders argued abortion policy should be left up to states and worked to shift voters’ focus back to the economy. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said this week that it should remain a state issue.
     
  • “Abortion is a very sensitive and emotional issue with strong feelings on both sides and therefore should be decided by the elected representatives of the people,” Portman said. “Through its Dobbs ruling, the Supreme Court made this clear. I believe this was the right ruling, and now our elected leaders in the states will make the decisions on this issue.”

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ODP Statement On Senate Republicans’ Proposed National Abortion Ban 

Columbus, OH – Following the news that Senator Lindsey Graham introduced a national abortion ban today, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Elizabeth Walters released the following statement: 

“Ohioans’ freedom to choose is on the line in this year’s election. While Tim Ryan would protect Ohioans’ most personal and fundamental rights, J.D. Vance would be another ‘Yes’ vote for Republicans’ extreme agenda of banning abortion nationwide. Ohioans have already seen the consequences of Mike DeWine and Ohio Republicans’ dangerous anti-abortion agenda with the cruel stories of rape survivors denied the healthcare they need, and when they go to the polls this fall they will make it clear that they don’t want to see more politicians insert themselves into these critical healthcare decisions.” 

BACKGROUND: 

  • J.D. Vance Said He “Would Like Abortion To Be Illegal Nationally.” According to Heartland Signal, “Vance has seemed to shift positions from earlier this year, when he told the political podcast ‘What’s Left?’ that he ‘would like abortion to be illegal nationally.’” [Heartland Signal, 7/26/22]
  • Headline: Gov. Mike Dewine Says He Wants To ‘Go As Far As We Can’ To Prohibit Abortions In Ohio [Columbus Dispatch, 6/17/22]
  • Headline: Arrest Prompts Criticism Of Republicans Like AG Dave Yost Who Questioned Story Of 10-Year-Old Rape Victim Who Left Ohio To Get An Abortion [Cleveland.com, 7/13/22]
  • Commentary: Ohio Republicans’ Attempted Erasure Of A 10-Year-Old Rape Victim Is Incredibly Sick And Disturbed [Ohio Capital Journal, 7/13/22]
  • Republican State Rep. Jean Schmidt Said That Her Bill That Would Ban Nearly All Abortions Is Likely To Pass In The Legislative Session After The November Elections. According to the Ohio Capital Journal, “The sponsor of legislation that would ban nearly all abortions in Ohio said babies conceived via rape or incest still have a right to life. Rep. Jean Schmidt, a Cincinnati area Republican, said on conservative talk radio earlier this week that her bill is likely to pass in the legislative session after the November elections. ‘I do believe we have the votes in both chambers, and we have the full support of the governor on this bill,’ she said.” [Ohio Capital Journal, 7/1/22]

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